Mat or cushion for sliding-poles.



Patented Apr. I7, |900. E. L. PERRY.

MAT 0R CUSHION FUR SLIDING POLES.

l Application med Feb. a, 1900.1 (No Model.)

- UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

EIDVVARD L. PERRY, OF PATERSON, NEIV JERSEY.

lVIAT OR CUSHION FOR SLIDING-'POLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patel-1t No. 647,873, dated April 17, 1900.

Application filed February 3, 1900. Sll'al :NoI 3,837. (N0 model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinMats or Cushions for Sliding- Poles 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon;

The present invention has' relation to that class of mats or cushions used by remen in the engine-house to prevent accidents when descending the sliding-pole provided for that purpose; and the object thereof is to prov-ide a mat or cushion of the above class that will insure a safe landing when coming down the pole without anydanger of turning or wrenching the ankle or otherwise injuring the descending fireman, which all other mats or cushions heretofore in use have failed to successfully accomplish.

The invention consists in an elastic mat or cushion of the above character constructed substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure l of the drawings represents an under side plan View of a mat or cushion constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical central section showingthe mat or cushion in the position it will assume when in use; Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of the perforated bottom of one of the cups or air-receiving vessels on an enlarged scale.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the top or body of the mat of rubber or othersuitable elastic material, which may be of circular or other shape and provided with a downwardly-extending rim or flange a and a central hole b for the sliding-pole to extend therethrough. These features of the invention may be variously modified or changed without departing from the essential features thereof.

Upon the under side of the body A is a plurality of compressing-cups B of circular or other form in contradistinction to supports or ribs heretofore in use. These cups or airreceiving vessels B are of suitable elastic material, such as rubber, and may be of any suitable form or shape and may be integral with the body of t-he mat or cushion or separate and afterward secured thereto in any preferred manner. The cups B have perforated bottoms d, said perforations acting as safety-valves to prevent the cups or vessels from being damaged from sudden blows by allowing an escape of the air when the cups or vessels are compressed. i

The body A of the mat or cushion has a core c, consisting of one or more layers of duck or othersnitable fibrous material to reduce the elasticity of the body to the required degree necessary to insure the perfect action of the mat or cushion when in use and also to materially strengthen the same.

The cups or vessels B form an actual receptacle for the air, being held therein by the closed bottom d and prevented from circulating from one portion of the mat to the other when pressure is brought down thereon.

When one or more of the air cups or receptacles are compressed, the air in those cups or receptacles will not be forced out of the same over the surface thereof, but the air is retained and held in the cnpsor receptacles to act as individual springs to receive the shock when the feet of the descending fireman come in Contact with the mat or cushion.

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by.

Letters Patent, isp l. An elastic mat or cushion for slidingpoles, comprising a suitable body having a depending rim and a central opening adapted to receive the sliding-pole, and a plurality of cups or air-receiving vessels depending lfrom said body, said cups or vessels being independent of each other and of the rim of the mat Wherebyfthe same will act as independent springs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An elastic mat or cushion comprising a suitable body and a plurality of cups or airreceiving vessels provided with suitable bottoms, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. An elastic mat or cushion comprising a suitable body having a central opening and a depending flange or rim, and a plurality of depending cups or air-receiving vessels having perforated bottoms, substantially as and for tgejpurpose set forth.

IOO

4. An elastic met or cushion, comprising a hereunto subscribed my name in the presence suitable body having a Central opening and of two Witnesses. a depending ange or rim, and a plurality of cups or air-receiving vessels, said body having a core of suitable brous material, sub- Witnesses:

` stantially as and fol1 the purpose specified. WALLACE MURDOCK,

In testimony that I claim the above I have L. C. HILLS.

EDWARD L. PERRY. 

